Hello, my name is Andrew Jara. I am trying to be a writer/director. I made a film named "Last Days" that i'm trying to bring some press to.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Last Days Facebook Page
Hey guys, I figured today I would put up the Last Days facebook page. If you have facebook, add the page! you won’t regret it!
Why not start the weekend with a clip from last days?!
(Source: vimeo.com)
So i haven’t posted my trailer in awhile. so new followers, here is the trailer to the film i made “Last Days” please reblog it if you like it or at least watch it. To my old followers, you know i love you, so watch it again. And reblog it! Everyone reblog! Thanks! Last Days. It has ZOMBIES and END OF THE WORLD craziness!
I’m glad you asked for my second! cause my favorite shot has a huge spoiler. But this shot is my favorite shot…
This is a very important scene and in my head, it was written as a slow zoom to turn into a close-up. If you’ve seen “There will be blood” it was gonna be like the scene where daniel day lewis is talking to his “brother” at the campfire. Anyway we decided to get a dolly sweep for an establishing shot and it came out perfect. The way the actors moved, the way dusk light the scene and the movement of the camera all came out so great that it added a lot more depth into the characters to what could have been just an establishing shot. Sometimes the littlest actions that the characters make can be so crucial to the story. A happy surprise!
Sure, how much was budget? How long it take to shoot? Where were you inspired for the story? Did El Paso inspire the story?
Posting this without the personal stuff but it’s from theycanbillme!
Okay well first the budget was always changing so I don’t have exact figures. It was around 40,000 but we also got some last minute money and I never kept track of how much money I was spending out of my own pocket. Even though we had an account, sometimes I would forget our credit card.
To shoot, it took exactly 24 days. We had to have the RED ONE camera back in LA by a certain day so we really had to be one the ball with it.
El Paso completely inspired the story. At first the movie was a slasher film, but as I wrote it, it became more and more generic so we stopped doing that. (although I did completely revamp the hound idea and turned it into a short!) But as I was thinking of another idea, I was driving around el paso. And El Paso shuts down at like 10 o clock. So driving through this city that was completely dead really started messing with my mind and the idea just kind of came to me. The idea of real survivors in a zombie outbreak. Not people who could always shoot straight or new everything but realism.
My first question! because snaps is awesome! i just gave her that nickname lol
The hardest thing from a technical standpoint was the store we filmed in. There are a couple of scenes in a store where the characters can still find food. But the store was tiny so it was hard to find angles. It was basically everyone who needed to be there and the actors. The rest of the crew had to be outside! Also the store never closed (the owner thought we were just gonna film for like ten minutes) so while we were filming people where coming in and buying stuff. The owner was super cool but it was really weird. If you listen to the original audio for those scenes, you can hear a couple fighting about what kind of beer they want to buy! haha See how fun this was! you can have this much fun if you also ask a question!
FILM/LAST DAYS TMI
Hey guys so today I feel like doing a TMI. If you have any questions about Last Days, movies, or filmmaking in general please ask. And if you ask about Last Days, I’ll reward you with some behind the scenes photos. Also I won’t get too spoilery so don’t ask what happens or anything. Let’s have fun!
Trailer for Last Days! Check it out if you like zombies, independent films or.. Or dreams!
Bam! Last Days teaser!
It being monday and all. Here is the trailer for the movie I made!
Real Life Tips when starting a movie!
“I used to encourage everyone I knew to make art; I don’t do that so much anymore.” Banksy
Okay, most of you have seen the trailer for Last Days. and those that didn’t Go watch it! Anyway for today’s article, I’m gonna give you tips for making a movie that you won’t learn in Film School. To people who don’t wanna make films, these may seem simple. But there are a lot of roads on making a movie, and there are so many ways to get lost! Hope you enjoy these!
1. Pick something you are passionate about.
This one seems easy but you’d be surprised how many people don’t do it. In film, you’re gonna be with the project for months if not years. And all the “glitter” is gonna wear off, the trend that you are chasing may be gone by the time you are ready to start filming, and what will you do then? After everything else is gone all you will have left is the story and don’t you want it to be something you want to pursue. Rather than something you did cause you thought it would get into “Sundance?” I made Last Days cause i love zombie movies. Not just the classic zombie films like dawn of the dead or evil dead, I’m talking about getting excited for zombies v. vampires or train of the dead. Sure they may have sucked but I watched them all cause I love zombies. If you don’t, the audience will be able to tell. There is nothing worse than a film where you can tell, the creative people lose interest halfway through. And they do exists! So make sure you love the story and what you are doing. And then watch all you can! It’s not like movies are some lost art. They are everywhere and make sure you watch them all. If you’ve only seen “The Artist” don’t make a silent film. If you’ve only seen “Brick” don’t make a noir. Sure those are good starters but you will want to watch as much of whatever film you are doing. It helps to know your story and what you are doing!
2. Trust your gut and then everything else.
Listen you are gonna be a couple of months in, and you are gonna be exhausted. You’re gonna feel like shit, maybe smoking up a storm and that’s when they’ll hit. the lingering doubts and the people changing your mind. Now keep in mind, I’m not saying not to listen. Film is a combinative art and you will need people around you that are smarter than you so they can help as much as possible. Just don’t let that affect your vision. Remember this is your film and it raises and falls with you. Keep that in mind. People may come up with something you never thought of and it’ll be awesome and you’ll add it. those are important cause it will always make the movie better. But sometimes people are gonna come up and say things and they will be amazing but if it doesn’t fit with your overall film then don’t do it. Our production designer wanted running zombies. But my film didn’t have those, and it would have been cool to add them, the story and the world the story created didn’t have them. Just make sure you have a clear vision (which is easier if you are passionate about your story) and stick to it!
3. There will be hard times, embrace them.
Listen, it’s not gonna be easy. I think I quit the film about ten times before we started shooting. There are obstacles and things in the way you will never see. Your personal life gets in the way so much. A couple of weeks ago, a guy came up to me and said, “I’m glad to know that I can save like 40,000 dollars and that’s all I need.” I didn’t say anything but in my mind I was thinking about all the sacrifices. All the people i had to let go in my life cause they didn’t understand what I was fighting for. All the nights I stayed home just to save that extra 20 bucks for the budget. All the “friends” that were only there once they learned I had a budget but left as soon as they learned I wasn’t gonna hire them. All this weighs down on you and it can stop everything if you let it! No one would even blame you! Filmmaking is hard and it breaks you down. That’s where that passion and love for the story come in. I wanted to get the Last Days story out. I can’t wait for people to see it and hopefully like it. And that’s what kept me going. Not fame, not money… It was the story. And that’s the only way I could ever do it.
So there you have it. I hope some people read this and take it to heart. And remember films are for everyone. They can change people’s lives. So make yours worth it. Make yours that movie.
